Tube construction



TUBE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 18, 1965 ...INU

. interconnected in an angular end to end disposition.

United States Patent O 3,304,108 TUBE CONSTRUCTION Earl F. Hamilton and Ralph B. Lay, Columbus, Ind., assignors to Hamilton Cosco, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Dec. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 331,511 1 Claim. (Cl. 287-189.36)

This invention relates to a tube construction, and more particularly to a construction for forming an interconnection between a plurality of tubes.

It is an object of the invention t-o provide a construction for interconnecting a plurality of tubes which will provide a rigid interconnection between said tubes, and which will not detract from the appearance of the tu-bes. It is a further object of the invention to provide connectors for such tube construction which can be economically manufactured as sheet-metal stampings, and which can be easily and quickly mounted in said tubes to form a rigid interconnection therebetween.

According to one form of the invention, there is provided a first tube having a beveled end which is connected in end to end relationship with a second t-ube disposed at an angle thereto. The edges on the -beveled end of the lirst tube and on the adjacent end of said second tube abut each other substantially continuously around the peripheries of the tube ends. The pair of tubes are rigidly in- -terconnected in their angular disposition by a pair of bifurcated brackets. The first of said brackets has a pair of arms angularly oriented with respect to each other at the same angle as said tubes and received in the adjacent ends of said tubes. The second of said pair of brackets also has a pair of arms angularly oriented with respect to each other at the same angle as said tubes. The arms of said second bracket are interlit in the arms of said lirst bracket and are also received in the adjacent ends of said tubes. The arms -on said brackets bindingly engage the inner walls of the pair of tubes for rigidly retaining said tubes angularly interconnected in end to end engagement'. Preferably, fastening means extend through each of the pair of tubes lfor interconnecting said tubes to at least one of said pair of brackets.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a section through a tube construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the tube construction shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section through a modified form of the tube construction showing the interconnection between three tubes;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of the ends of the tubes shown in FIG. 4.

This invention is concerned with a tube construction for forming an end to end interconnection between a pair of tubes or between three tubes. Consequently, it linds application in the construction of the frames for shelving, chairs, paneling, etc.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a pair of tubes are As shown, one end of a tube 10 is beveled with its beveled edges 11 disposed in abutting relationship with the correspondingly beveled edges 12 on the end of a second tube 14. The edges 11 and 12 are disposed in substantially continuous abutting relationship around their peripheries.

The tubes 10 and 14 are rigidly interconnected by a pair of bifurcated brackets 15 and 16 conveniently formed as y engagement with each other.

ice

sheet-metal stampings and mounted in the adjacent ends of said tubes. The bracket 15 comprises a pair of angulated channeled arms 17 each formed from a web 18 interconnecting a pair of fingers 20. The lateral spacing between and the height of the fingers 20 are slightly greater than the internal diameter of the tubes 10 and 14 to thus permit the arms 17 to be inserted into the adjacent ends of said tubes in a press-lit. The angle between the webs 18 on the arms 17 is equal to the angle of interconnection between the tubes 10 and 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 15 is inserted into the adjacent ends of the tubes 10 and 14 and bindingly abuts the inner walls of said tubes along the loutside of the angle of inter-connection between said tubes for assuring a matched mitred corner at the tube joint.

The bracket 16 also comprises a pair of angulated channeled arms 22 each formed from a web 24 interconnecting a pair of lingers 26. The angle between the webs 24 is also equal to the angle of interconnection between the tubes 10 and 14. The bracket arms 22 are insertable in the adjacent ends of the tubes 10 and 14 with their webs 24 abutting sections of the inner tube walls along the inside of the angle of interconnection between the tubes, said sections being diametrically opposed to the wall sections abutting the webs 18 on the bracket 15. Conveniently, openings 27 and 28 are formed in the tubes 10 and 14 and in the webs 24 for the reception of screws 30 to rigidly interconnect the bracket to the tubes 10 and 14 for interconnecting said tubes to each other.

In forming the connection shown in FIG. 1, the bracket 16 is interiit in the bracket 15 with its lingers 26 bindingly engaging the lingers 20 in face to face contact. With the brackets thus interlit, one set of their arms 17 and 22 is inserted into the tube 10, with the other set of their respective arms 17 and 22 angling outwardly from the end of said tube. The adjacent end of the tube 14 is then forced over the outwardly projecting arms 17 and 22 until the lbeveled tube edges 11 and 12 are disposed in abutting In such position, the openings 28 will be disposed in alignment with the openings 27 for insertion of the screws 30 for retaining the tubes in their interconnected relationship, and said tubes will be further retained in interconnected relationship by the arms 17 and 22 being presselit in their adjacent ends.

In the embodiment in FIGS. 4-6 a pair of tubes 32 and 33 are interconnected to each other and t-o a third tube 34 of larger cross-section than the tubes 32 and 33. As shown,

the tube 34 has two sets of `beveled edges 35 Iand 36 which lie in different angularly oriented planes. The edges 35 are adapted to abut the beveled edges 38 on the adjacent end of the tube 32, and the beveled edges 36 are adapted to abut the beveled edges 44) on the adjacent end of the tube 33. The several tubes are interconnected to each other with their adjacent edges in abutting relationship by two pairs of opposed bifu-rcated brackets, the brackets in each pair being identical to the pair of brackets shown in FIGS. 1-3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tube 33 is interconnected to the tube 34 by brackets 41 and 42. The bracket 41 comprises a pair of channeled arms 44 angularly oriented with respect to each other at the same angle as the angle of interconnection between the tubes 33 and 34, and each formed from a web 45 interconnecting a pair of lingers 46. The lateral spacing between and the height of the lingers 46 are slightly greater than -the inner diameter of the tube 33 to permit one of the arms 44 to be inserted in said tube in a press-lit.

The bracket 42 also comprises a pair of channeled arms 48 at the same angle as the angle of interconnection between the tubes 33 and 34, and each formed from a web 50 interconnecting a pair of lingers 52. The arms 48 are insertable in the adjacent ends of the tubes 33 and 34 with their webs abutting sections of the inner tube walls along the inside of the angle of interconnection between said tubes. Conveniently, openings are formed in the tubes 33 and 34 for the reception of screws 54 rigidly interconnecting said tubes to the bracket 42.

The tubes 32 and 34 are interconnected by a pair of brackets 41 and 42' identical in construction to the brackets 41 and 42. The bracket 41 comprises a pair of arms 44 at the same angle as the angle of interconnection between the tubes 32 and 34, and each formed from a web 45 interconnecting a pair of fingers 46'. The bracket 42 comprises a pair of. arms 48 at the same angle as the arms 44', and each formed from a Web 50 interconnecting a pair of fingers 52. Openings are formed in the tubes 32 and 34 for the reception of screws 54 rigidly interconnecting said tubes with the bracket 42.

In assemblying the tube construction shown in FIG. 4, the brackets 42 and 42 are interfit in the brackets 44 and 44', respectively. The spacing between the several bracket fingers is such that the fingers 52 and S2 will bindingly engage the fingers 44 and 44 to bindingly retain the brackets in each pair in a rigid press-fit. Each pair of the brackets is then inserted into the tube 34 with their adjacent webs 45 and 45 disposed in opposed back to back relationship. With the brackets inserted into the tube 34, one pair. of arms on each pair of brackets will project angularly outwardly from the open end of said tube. The tube 33 can then be inserted over the outwardly projecting pair of arms 44 and 48, and the tube 32 can be inserted over the outwardly projecting pair of arms 44 and 48'. Thev tubes 32 and 33 are forced onto their respective pairs of bracket arms until their adjacent ends are disposed in abutting relationship and their edges 38 and 40 abut the edges 35 and 36 of the tube 34. The screws 54 and S4' are then inserted into the several tubes and the bracket webs 50 and 50' for rigidly retaining said tubes in their interconnected relationship.

In each of the embodiments, the tubes have been shown to have an angle of interconnection of 90. It is to be understood, of course, that the invention contemplates interconnecting two or lthree tubes at any desired angle of interconnection. Therefore, it is not necessary in all circumstances to bevel the end of each of the interconnected tubes. It is to be further understood that, although the tubes have been shown as having rectangular cross-sections, said tubes may have any desired cross-sectional contours. It is desired, however, that the cross-sectional configuration of the webs and fingers on the brackets correspond to the contours of the inner walls of said tubes to provide a binding face to face contact between the brackets and tubes.

We claim:

A tu-be construction, comprising a first tube having a beveled end, -a second tube at an angle to said first tube, the edges on the beveled end on said first tube and the adjacent end of said second tube abutting each other substantially c-ontinuously around the peripheries of said ends, a

` first bifurcated channeled bracket having a pair of arms angularly oriented with respect to each other at the same angle as said tubes and received in said tubes, a second bifurcated channeled bracket having a pair of arms angularly oriented with respect to each other at the same angle as said tubes and interfit the arms of said first bracket and received in said tubes, each of the arms on said first and second -brackets comprising a web interconnecting a pair of fingers, the webs on said brackets abutting diametrically Vopposed sections of the inner wall of each `of said tubes, the fingers on said second bracket abutting the fingers on said first bracket in face to face relationship, and the arms on said brackets bindingly engaging the inner walls of said tubes for rigidly retaining said tubes in interconnected end to end relationship.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner,

I. K, BELL, Assistant Examim-zr.I 

